Posted on June 3, 2026
Dredging is underway in South Haven, and this time around, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is doing it a bit differently.
Speaking to the city council this week, South Haven City Manager Kate Hosier said the crews started last week and will be out in the harbor through July 12.
“They do know to watch out for our July 3 fireworks night, but they are looking to take out about 83,000 cubic yards out of the near shore harbor and out to the pier heads,” Hosier said.
The dredging is taking place at the harbor entrance to Lake Michigan, between breakwater heads, and upstream to North Shore Drive. Dredged material will be transported through submerged pipeline and discharged near shore, and as Hosier said, not too close to the pier.
“This will be sand reclamation, but it will be going south of South Beach. This is something that the Corps has changed some of their minds on. They thought that putting it too close to the piers has caused a lot of the sand to stay around the pier heads, so that’s why they’re putting it more south than they have in a long time.”
Samples of the dredged material will be taken to confirm it’s suitable for beach replenishment, and then it could be used for that purpose.
The Army Corps says the submerged pipeline will be marked with orange buoys every 500 feet and a bright yellow pontoon at each end. Boaters are asked to use caution near the dredging equipment.
